When I first moved to Härjedalen a few friends and me started arranging a fishing camp by one of the local lakes every summer. the camp is an open camp where everyone that wants to can take part. You got to bring your own camping and fishing gear, and buy the local fishing license, but that's it. We'll show you the good spots if you don't know the lake, and if there is room in our boat, you'll be invited to fish with us in our boat. If not, you can bring your own boat, or rent one from the local fishing administration. The last few years we've been arranging the camp in Hundsjön. Hundsjön is a clear water lake where they stock arctic Char and brown trout. In addition there is Pike, Perch, whitefish, Vendance and Burbot in the lake. There is not much fish in the lake, but the fish that are can get nice and big. Pearch over 2 lb are common, and every eyar we catch 1-3 perch that are over 3 lb. The pike are often over 20lb, and the trout are not uncommon to get over 6 lb.

The time of year we arrange the camp can vary, but we've always had it during the summer or fall. Some years both. This year we arranged the camp just before mid summer, and had it last almost a week. The first few days it was only Henrik and me there. we are the ones that usually arrange the camp, and if no one else shows up, well then it is just us there during the camp, and we'll often have the entire lake for our selves. Day three a friend of us, Thomas showed up. he spent the evening at the camp, and went home again the same day. When he arrived it was fairly early in the day, and I was sitting and fishing with bait and bobber for trout and perch from land. Henrik took the boat over to pick up Thomas while I continued to fish. Shortly after Henrik ahd arrived at the other side of the lake my bobber slowly got pulled under the water. I gave a jerk, and the line was tight. it felt as if I was snagged on a log for a few seconds before the water surface exploded, as a pike set off like a rocket. SInce I had not thought that a pike would take my bait I had no leader, and only a hook 6# attached to 0,25mm Mono (4lb mono). The fish was obviously much too big for the test of my line, so I was extremely carefull fighting it. Also, I didn't have a net. the net was in Henrik's boat on the other side of the lake.

By the time Henrik and Thomas approached the camp and I could shout to them, the fish had been lured in to the shallows, and was ready for netting. Henrik understod that I had a fish, but not how big, and Thomas understood that since I was shouting the fish must have some size, so in stead of Henrik coming over to help land the fish, the two started to discuss if my fish was big or small. SInce Henrik was the one driving the boat, they headed to land around the bend. By the time they got ashore, and Thomas was about to jump out of the boat with the net and help me, I had taken the chance of landing the fish by grabbing it over the neck. My enack grip worked, and quickly carried the fish over so the guys could take a photo and see it before I let it go. Henrik, knowing what I was fishing with was shocked, and a little embarrased that he hadn't realized why I had been shouting when they where in the boat, but all was well, and after a few photo's, the fish was set free.

After that we all went up to the camp and made some food while catching up from last timie we all had met.

Thomas only spent the day at the camp, and left home in the evening. Besides the pike we had only caught some small trout and a couple pearch until Thomas caught a nice 1,6 kg Trout. The next day we got two visitors from Norway. Nar and Daniel. While Daniel was fairly experienced as an angler, The other guy was not, so I made it my duty to show him the ropes, and set him on some fish. The fishing also started to pick up and between the two of us we caught lots of large perch, a couple of arctic Char and a few Pike. The one pike even took a fly that I had above my lure, and Nar caught a 2,9 kg pike that nearly jumped in his lap, causing Nar to stop filming the fight and jump backwards into the boat to avoid getting the fish in his face.
The two guys also found the old Woook that Thomas had brought to the camp over ten years ago. They cleaned it up and put it to good use, making the one fancy meal after the other. By the time the camp was over we alll had caught lots of nice fish. The largest was of course my 9,5 kg (20,9lb) pike. We had also caught several smaller pike, about two dozen perch between 1lb and 3lb (1,36kg), and a half a dozen trout between 1 lb and 6.6lb (3kg) We'd had nice weather the entire time, and a great time. It was truly a camp to remember.